Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-03-03

at good wages. Good reliable work.
men can secure plenty to do.
This country has several features of
peculiar interest typographical, social,
and otherwise which l propose to dish
up to your readers in future letters.
San Bernardino. Feb. %. A. S.
| Written for the HERALD.
Robert SchIlling.
II seems that upon his first visit here,
Robert Schilling for some reason or
other was so impressed with the idea
that this county was a fruitful field for
the sowing of his peculiar doctrines that
he concluded to return and give us some
more of his visionary panacea. just
why he should be so impressed it is
difficult to conceive, unless he reasoned
that inasmuch as we were attentive
listeners and heard what he had to say
without giving vent to any hostile
demonstrations, that we were also more
passive recipients and received his doc
trnes without digesting them and with
out exercising those reasoning powers
with which the people of Grant county
are abundantly supplied as compared
with the audiences, consisting of the
scum of Wisconsin's liquor-soaked met
ropolitan city, to which he has been ac-
customed to deliver his revolutionary
vaporings. Or, possibly he was influ-
enced toward this belief by those few
scattered remnants of the late Green
back party. now naturally apostles of
his creed, who in their isolated state are
peculiarly prone to infer that the mere
presence of an audience before one who
advocates the most radical of their pet
theories, voices a popular sentiment in
their favor. AS Schilling is the accred-
tied mouth-piece of an organization vast
in its extent and which has the symp-
athy of all lovers of equality in its sup
posed aims and objects if not in its pro-
posed methods of obtaining them, those
who have had the opportunity of listen
ing to him have been fortunate. If the
ideas he advances are those of his or
ganjzation, then his hearers have been
doubly fortunate, providing they are
capable of reasoning and of forming
opinions for themselves. These ideas
being expressed in an avowed explana-
ton of the platform of the Knights of
Labor, they will by inference be accept
ed as the demands of that organization.
This being the case, it does not require
a prophetic inspiration to be enabled TO
foresee the collapse, in the near future.
of the organization as a body. The
variety and the extremeness of its radi-
cal and socialistic demands as promul-
gated by Schilling. the attainment OF
which would irretrievably demoralize
society and bring unspeakable ruin, is
sufficient to auger their complete failure.
The. American people have too many
free schools and too great variety and
abundance of educational facilities to
warrant even a suspicion that the doc
trines advocated by SchilliDg will ever
be seriously entertained by any con-
siderable proportion of the people, if
rightly understood. 1t is only under
the cloak of a labor organization whose
original objects, as understood by most
of its members. are commendable that
they would be at all tolerated, and the
sooner the knights of Labor throw over
board such men as Schilling, the sooner
will they gain the good will aud active
sympathy of all who honestly and in
telligently desire to promote equality
and justice.
For the benefit of those who have not
had an opportunity to attend one or
more of Schilling's socialistic lectures,
it may be we'll to mention some of the
| things that he advocates. For instance,
he advocates the Government owner
ship of all railroads, of the telegraph,
of the telephone, of the banks, of all
manufacturing establishments, of all
commercial and trading concerns, ETC..
in fact, together with other labor agl-
tators of like proclivities, he intimates
that his organization looks TO the gunner
ship of all property by the Government.
II this is anything, it is rank Com
munism, and although he disclaims to
have any anarchical tendencies, he
stoutly defends the agitators aud leaders
| in the labor riots that occurred in Mil
waukee last summer and denounces
Governor Rusk for his prompt action in
suppressing the riots. II these idess
were to be adopted. it would mean that
the present unwieldy number of Office
holders would be multiplied indefi-
nitely; it would divide society into two
definite classes-the all-powerful Office
holding corporation and the common
daily laborers; 1t would be the DEATH
blow to all private enterprise and would
put premium upon idIeness. In fact
the whole idea is un-republican and I'M
American and would create despotism
unrivalled in past history. He resurrects
the most chimerical and insane of the
Greenback ideas, wishes to dispense
with asd and silver money bssts'